SMASHING THE CELLULOID CEILING
Florida’s chapter of Women in Film and Television is making inroads in the boys-club business.

Here’s a quick test: Name five film directors who have made an impact on the American film industry.
No problem, right? Spielberg, Lucas, Hitchcock, Kubrick and John Ford. As a matter of fact, it’s pretty hard to stop at five when you consider all the film classics that have been produced since the early 20th century.

Now here’s where it gets harder: Name five female film directors. Stumped? It’s not from a lack of talent or passion that women directors are so hard to name. As with other male-dominated industries, film and television present barriers for women that their male counterparts often don’t face. Consider this: In the entire history of the Academy Awards, fewer than five women have been nominated for best director.

In reaction to the disparity in opportunity and recognition, a grassroots movement sprang up in Hollywood’s backyard in 1973. Women in Film and Television is a nonprofit organization charged with serving working professionals in the entertainment industry. It was the brainchild of Tichi Wilkerson Kassel, the former publisher and editor-in-chief of The Hollywood Reporter. Today, the international organization based in Los Angeles boasts more than 40 chapters worldwide and operates with a united goal to empower, educate and offer networking opportunities to its membership.

Here in Central Florida, a group of independent producers—who happened to be women—understood the benefits of building a cohesive community within the local film industry and launched WIFT-FL, the Florida chapter of Women in Film and Television, in 1989. The chapter has grown from a handful of professionals to more than 200 members who regularly come together to share knowledge, experience and camaraderie.

All in the family
As a child growing up in Central Florida, Jennifer Pennypacker was immersed in the world of film and entertainment. Her mother, Sarah Fuller, was a prominent freelance location manager and assistant director, and her father, Brad Fuller, co-founded Florida Film and Tape, an Orlando-based production company.“ I never thought I’d be part of this industry. I went running in the other direction,” jokes Pennypacker, who is the director of project development at the Metro Orlando Film and Entertainment
Commission, and a former president of WIFT-FL. “I was looking for a normal 9-to-5 job.” Fate dictated otherwise, and the marketing professional found herself making a living following in her parents’ footsteps.

After a short stint working for Showtime Networks in Los Angeles, Pennypacker returned to Orlando in 2001 to resume work with the film commission. She was immediately recruited to serve on the board of WIFT-FL and has never left. The chapter gained momentum under Pennypacker’s leadership as the sense of community that the organization fostered appealed to a variety of industry professionals including performers, producers, directors, writers, agents, publicists, photographers and managerial personnel.

Not for women only
Despite its name, Women in Film and Television-FL does not limit membership to women. “We found in our market that men are such an important part of the community that we did not want to exclude them,” says Pennypacker, who notes that about 30 percent of the membership is male. Each chapter can determine its own rules regarding the inclusion of men. In Florida, men can serve on the
20-member volunteer board of directors but they can’t hold executive positions in the organization.
Art Smith has been involved with WIFT-FL for more than two years. “It doesn’t matter if you are male or female doing this,” he says. “What matters is that you have a passion for this industry.”
Voting members must have at least two years’ professional experience in the film or television industry. For students or individuals who don’t meet the two-year professional criterion, another
membership option is available with the same benefits—excluding voting privileges. “We found that there are quite a few people who are not actively working in the industry, but are still interested in film and television,” says Pennypacker. “We welcome everyone to join us.”

Though the Florida chapter is based in Orlando, membership is open to all of Florida. “ We have members in Tampa and Miami and other cities,” says Pennypacker. “We are very honest with them and let them know that we may not get to their area for events or meetings, but there are still great benefits to being a member of WIFT.” Often, producers who belong to WIFT will come to Florida with a project and will first look to hire local WIFT members listed in the online membership directory.
“ Our industry is all about networking and who you know,” says Pennypacker. In addition to its quarterly meetings, WIFT-FL sponsors seminars, training sessions and social-networking events. “We poll our membership to see what topics and aspects of the profession they are interested in learning about. Our goal is not to limit the scope of what is offered. We want to open up opportunities and present different topics to appeal to a wide range of interests.”

The next generation
Mentoring students who have an interest in the fields of film and television is an important function of WIFT-FL. In addition to working with students at Full Sail, the University of Central Florida and Valencia Community College, WIFT-FL members have recently approached the public-school system to offer their expertise.

Holly Payberg-Torroija, who chairs the chapter’s mentorship committee, founded the Central Florida Circle of Change, a local chapter of the National Challenge Day organization. Challenge Day is a program presented to high-school students to help stop the violence and alienation teenagers frequently face in their schools and communities. Payberg-Torroija, with the help of fellow WIFT-FL member Dale Gordon, has launched a news club for the students known as It’s All Good. WIFT-FL has committed to support the initiative by giving hands-on guidance to the teens participating in the news club.“ We want the kids to have a way to broadcast the positive things that are happening in their schools and with each other,” says Gordon. “When we presented this idea to the [WIFT-FL] board, they immediately bought into it.” “ There is a collective thinking from members of the group that if Florida is ever going to be a contender, we should not just look at what can come into our state, but look at the resources we already have here and mentor our own young talented people,” says Payberg-Torroija. “ WIFT-FL is one of the organizations that lend credibility to the Orlando film community,” says Gordon. “We are not only selling Orlando as a project location, but the infrastructure of professionals that are in place to serve on the project.”

Getting to know you
Social events play an important role as they offer informal ways for the members to interact and solidify their relationships.

Last October, WIFT-FL hosted Lunafest, at which a number of films by and about women were shown at Leu Gardens. Established in 2000 by the San Francisco-based Luna company, Lunafest was created to promote women filmmakers, raise awareness for women’s issues and support worthy women’s nonprofit organizations. The film festival has grown from a single annual event to more than 100 festivals conducted throughout the United States and Canada each season. While a portion of the
proceeds from the Leu Gardens event went to the Breast Cancer Fund, the remainder was split between the Florida Hospital Cancer Institute and WIFT-FL.“ As a nonprofit,” says Pennypacker, “one of our biggest challenges is having a steady revenue stream.”

Thanks to a three-year partnership between General Motors and WIFT International, local chapters have access to funds to raise awareness of the chapters’ activities as well as to support scholarships for emerging female film students.

While women have, of course, come a long way in film, there is still a long way to go. A study by Martha Lauzen, a communications professor at San Diego State University, shows that of the top 250 domestic-grossing films of 2005, only 17 percent of all directors, executive producers, writers,
cinematographers and editors were women.

To read more, pick-up the February edition of Orlando magazine on newsstands today!